


Flash

by Synthetic_Miracle



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (or at least an attempt at horror and suspense), Gen, Horror, Keith & Shiro - Freeform, Mentions of Other Voltron Paladins, Suspense, but they aren't really in the story much, there's something lurking in the light
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-27 03:12:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16210199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Synthetic_Miracle/pseuds/Synthetic_Miracle
Summary: Flash. Run. Distant screaming? Freeze, then keep running. Flash again.Whatever it was that was hunting me down, it was unrelenting. All I knew was that the dark was safe, but if I moved as the flashing light illuminated the room, I’d be killed.





	Flash

Flash. Run. Distant screaming? Freeze, then keep running. Flash again. 

Whatever it was that was hunting me down, it was unrelenting. All I knew was that the dark was safe, but if I moved as the flashing light illuminated the room, I’d die. I had to find Shiro, but it was nearly impossible in the spacious room, especially while not being able to see in the bright light. Having my night vision constantly disrupted meant I couldn’t really find him in the dark either. 

What were we up against? It… was impossible to tell. Shiro and I had been looking for survivors on an empty planet, but the distress signal had seemed to yield nothing; the dim and foggy towns were completely abandoned. We had split up in one of the towns on the off chance of finding some survivors. The flashing had started suddenly as I was investigating a building similar to a warehouse. Luckily an alien animal that looked vaguely like squirrel had been running around the area through the dark, but once the light started up, it had continued moving and been torn apart. By what, I wasn’t sure, I’d only seen a blur of sharp talons and blood before the darkness was back. After that, all I’d known was running through the building, standing stock still during the brief flares of light, and hearing a screaming that definitely wasn’t coming from me or Shiro. 

Where was the door? Was Shiro okay? I honestly wasn’t sure. I kept running and stopping for what felt like ages before I found an exit. Once I opened the door, I could see that the rapid blazes of light continued outside. For whatever reason, my helmet had stopped working once the flashing started, and even once I got out into the open, communications didn’t open up again. I darted around the ghostly settlement, hoping that Shiro was near where he was searching earlier. I was absolutely terrified that the monster had gotten him already, which fueled me to go even faster. 

I was panting as I sprinted through the dark, desperate to find Shiro, so desperate I almost didn’t stop in time for the quick burst of light. I saw a quick glimpse of a single sharp claw graze by my helmet before the darkness returned. Once the blinding light was off, I swiftly turned a corner, only for an arm to whip out and grab me. I practically flew around and nearly stabbed Shiro with my bayard before I realized that it wasn’t whatever beast was lurking in the light. He motioned for me to keep quiet, so we started cautiously making our way back to the Black, the only sound amidst the spurts of light our harsh breathing and the eerie screaming, which seemed to continue exclusively when the flashes happened. 

As we got closer to the Black Lion, the screaming seemed to get louder and the flashes more sporadic. It seemed that whatever else was here with us was trying to trip us up before we made it out. We were almost at the lion when it finally happened. I was running, I stopped for the burst of light, I started running again, and only a few seconds after the last flash, another occurred. Shiro stopped in the nick of time, but since I was going faster, my momentum carried me forward, right into the waiting claws of a horrifying creature. I still couldn’t see its face, but the light glinted on its long, bloody claws as they raked over my armor. Its arms were a sickly white-gray, with skin, or scales, or something else seemingly peeling off in areas. I tried to slice it with my sword, but the creature quickly stabbed through a chink in my armor before I could hit it. 

“KEITH!” yelled Shiro, who had quickly caught on to the fact that I was being attacked, despite not being able to see. The alien monster didn’t falter at the sudden noise, it just twisted its talons deeper into my side, tearing it open. The pain was excruciating, but I lifted my bayard with a grunt and swiped right at the elbow of the creature’s arm. 

The alien let out an ear piercing shriek as its arm was half sliced off. I pulled the clawed hand out of my torn side, put a hand over the wound and blindly grabbed for where I thought Shiro was. I latched onto him, and we ran for Black. Black roared as we neared, and immediately opened her mouth for us.

Once in the lion, the flashes stopped completely, though they looked to be continuing outside. The gauntleted hand covering my side was completely drenched in blood, which Shiro noticed as he looked me over for injuries. I could feel the symptoms of blood loss kicking in, much faster than they should have, even with the gaping hole in my side. Through my hazy mind, I figured that the monster's claws must have contained some venom to speed up the effects and weaken its meal. 

“Quiznak, Keith! Let me see that!” Shiro said in concern.

“Sure,” I managed to mumble out in response. 

His big brother instincts are kicking in, I mused to myself before adrenaline failed me and I collapsed onto the floor. The last thing I saw before I passed out completely was Shiro’s horrified face as he tried desperately to staunch the bleeding. 

I dreamt in strange strains that ended abruptly and left me feeling discordant. A claw tracing over Shiro’s helmet, then over Pidge’s head. A quick switch to a lamp flashing on and off in an empty room. Lance and Hunk yelling at a mannequin arm. I couldn’t make sense of any of it as I slowly started regaining consciousness, but I was startled into alertness anyway as I tripped from the cryopod into Shiro’s arms. 

The room was illuminated by a soft, steady light, no sinister flashes to be found. The other paladins, plus Allura and Coran, were gathered around, looking relieved that I was healed and alive. Surrounded by my team, my family, I felt safe for the first time since the flashing had started.

**Author's Note:**

> The alien monster in this work isn't really based off of anything. I imagine it as a sort of parasite that found its way to that planet and eventually killed off all of the inhabitants. I watched "Lights Out" a while ago, and I thought it might be cool to subvert the whole monster-lurking-in-the-dark trope.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the story, I had a great time writing it! Please feel free to comment, I would love to hear your thoughts.


End file.
